TH!NK-E – December 2019
Leen Peeters from Th!nk-E explains what has happened in Oud-Heverlee since last September, underlining how important it is to involve people within energy communities.
What have been the updates in Osimo/Oud-Heverlee since last September?
Meters have been installed and people have been invited to an event to explain the concepts that will be rolled out as of September. The event included a visit to a wind turbine in the morning and a barbeque in the evening, with games and interactions to get them acquainted with concept of energy and power.
What do you think are the most important results since last September?
A lot has been done on the community building and the design of the exchange platform. The community building also included a successful collective purchase action for solar panels. People started communicating more and also cooperate now to tackle mobility issues in the neighbourhood.
What were the main challenges of the year and how did you overcome them?
The integration of the appliances and devices, meters and controls in people’s houses is all but self-evident. Also the integration of the technologies in cooperation with what is already in place, is not easy.
What should we expect in 2020?
Start of experiments on P2P exchange and demand side management in February, where people will be encouraged to match demand and supply, exchange to balance community consumption with local production. The next test will include capacity based remuneration, where end-consumers will be informed about their actual power use.